The Boy Who Lived
by Evil Queen of the Demon Pandas
Summary: Harry's been off fighting Voldemort for six months, and no one knows if he's alive or dead. Ginny's been forced to wait at home for him, trying to live with her broken heart and without Harry. Will he ever come home?


**Author's note:** 'Ello, 'ello! Here is yet another fluff songfic. I swear it's my last one. For this month, at least. ; ) Not promising anything for October. This was another "heard the song and fanfic idea popped into her warped mind" situation. And then I wrote it during AP Chemistry and posted it here for all you lovely folks to read. But I know you don't really care about what I have to say here, right? So I'll just let you get on to the reading and reviewing that inevitably ensues. : )

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry, or Ginny, or our dear old Voldy. Nor do I own Far Away. The credit for the creation of these separate entities goes to J.K. Rowling and Nickelback, respectively. But I do own the plot. -pets the plot with her face- I luv yew...

* * *

_This time, This place  
Misused, Mistakes  
Too long, Too late_

Ginny Weasley hadn't slept in four days. Half of this could be attributed to the newborn baby boy she'd been living with for two months; the other half could be attributed to the teenage boy she'd been living without for six. She'd ended up in the kitchen again, staring bleakly into the fire and attempting to force some of her mother's reheated chamomile tea down her resisting throat. Albus was quiet now, probably sleeping soundly with a full belly and soft blanket. Upstairs, Ginny could hear the child's mother shuffle back to bed. Fleur hadn't been sleeping, either, but the beautiful French woman didn't bear the dark circles under her eyes and tremble in her hands that Ginny did. She didn't even seem to be affected by the opressive atmosphere at number twelve, Grimmauld Place and the long, sleepless nights they'd all been forced to bear. But then, she wasn't spending all her waking hours sitting on the couch, her stomach in a knot, every nerve screaming in nervous expectance of the news Ginny was certain would arrive any day.

The news of Harry Potter's death.

_Who was I to make you wait  
Just one chance  
Just one breath  
Just in case there's just one left  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

Ginny scowled at her mug. Chamomile tea didn't reheat well, and forcing the lukewarm liquid into her aching body wasn't doing her much good. She stood, shaking her hair out of her eyes. Hermione, in an effort to clear both their heads of the matter at hand, had attempted to give her a magical makeover. As a result, Ginny's hair was now board-straight and constantly sliding in red sheets in front of her face. She tucked it behind her ears for the fourth time since she'd wandered downstairs, twitching her wand at her mug. The tea vanished and the mug flew into the sink, landing neatly on top of the pile of dirty dishes that no one had yet bothered to wash. She rubbed her stiff face with one hand, trying to rid her heart of a bit of the constricting ache that had had her on lockdown since just after Dumbledore's funeral. Almost without thinking, she began to walk slowly upstairs. Memories flooded her weary mind. In the daylight, it was easier to push them away, to find some way to busy herself and ignore the rememberings. But now, the clock striking two and her eyes drifting closed even as she walked, she couldn't ignore them. Her feet came to a halt as the memories overwhelmed her. She stared blankly down the hall, at the exact spot Harry had Apparated from half a year before. That day was as clear as if she'd just lived it.

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

"Ginny, you can't go." His voice had been firmer than she'd ever heard it.

"I'm going." She'd crossed her arms over her chest and stared fiercely up at him. Behind his glasses, his eyes shone with tears that she knew mirrored the ones in her own eyes.

"No, you're not. Voldemort would kill you in a heartbeat," he'd said, a touch gentler. His hand had clutched hers tightly, as if he were trying to convince himself never to let go.

"Your point?" She'd raised one eyebrow at him in the way her brothers had taught her. He'd just laughed.

_On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand_

He'd kissed her silently, let her hand go. She'd watched, numb, as he'd walked to the end of the hall. The silence of the house had pressed against her skin like a thousand bee stings as he turned to face her.

"Don't wait for me." His voice had been so quiet, she could barely hear it.

"I will," she promised.

"I'll come back if I can. I swear."

"I know."

"...I love you." He'd lifted his bag from the floor, his eyes still on her.

"I love you," she'd whispered as he vanished.

_I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything but I won't give up  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

Resisting her best efforts to fight it, she began to sob brokenly. She pressed her hands against her mouth to muffle her cries, squeezing her eyes shut to hold back the tears. Still they ran down her face, cutting rivulets through the make-up she'd never bothered to wash off. Her only condolence was that none of the doors on the hall opened. Her family slept soundly, ignorant of their youngest girl standing alone in the corridor, crying for a boy whom, it was quite possibly, no longer lived.

She didn't hear the footsteps. Her head bowed, her hair falling around her like a curtain designed specifically to obscure her tear-stained face, didn't lift as the footsteps approached. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her waist that she flinched, lifting her face from her hands and pushing her hair out of her face. Green eyes peered worriedly into her own as gentle hands touched her face gently. Shock struck her mind like a hammer blow, leaving her unable to do anything but stare at the man who stood before her.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly.

_So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
But you know, you know, you know _

She flew into his arms in a flurry of tears and laughter. Burying her face in his shoulder, she alternately sobbed his name and screamed declarations of joyous triumph. Now the doors flung open, revealing groggy Weasleys. Lupin and Tonks stomped upstairs, stopping short just behind the couple. Ginny, her tears now standing forgotten in her eyes, let go of Harry to beam up at him. "I missed you so much! I thought you were dead..."

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry. I just couldn't risk sending an owl...I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" He looked at her guility.

"Yes, love," she assured him, not even realising that she was picking up her mother's terms of endearment.

"You didn't...I mean..." He struggled for words, a slow blush creeping up his face when he realised that most of the Order was staring at him.

_I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say_

Ginny waited patiently for him. Unconsciously, she reached for his hand. Seemingly bolstered by her simple act, he blurted, "You didn't fall in love with someone else, did you?"

She blinked at him in confusion. How coul he ask her that? How on earth could she fall in love with anyone else? He was her everything, everything she'd ever wanted, ever since she was a magically-incompetent eleven-year-old with no boobs and the hated trademark Weasley hair. "Of course not," she answered honestly.

_I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long_

He grinned in relief. "Good. I was worried about that."

She laughed and slipped her arms around his waist. He held her close, burying his face in her hair. "He's gone, Ginny. For good." His tone held a note of almost surprise, as if he hadn't realised it for himself until that very moment.

"You're staying now, aren't you?" She smiled into his chest.

"Yeah. I'm not leaving ever again."

_So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing_

As he let her go, she smiled as her sobbing mother and Hermione both pounced on him, hugging him tight. He was their triumphant hero, their beloved son. He was their Boy Who Lived.

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**A/N:** Yayness! Please review. Thanks to everyone who reviewed _Married Life_; if I hadn't gotten good feedback on that, I doubt I would've written this. I know this isn't as good as that was, mostly because that took me an hour and this took me forty minutes, but ah, well. Don't hate me too much. ; ) Luv y'all!

P.S. I'm considering changing my penname to Evil Queen of the Demon Pandas. What do y'all think?


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